Published: September 03, 2008 12:55 am            

Tax bills being mailed; county hires collection agency

Lebanon — Property tax statements will be mailed by this Thursday, Boone County Treasurer Deanna Willhoite said.

Some of the bills will be sent from her office; others will come from Huntington Bank’s processing division, she said.

At least half of the bill must by paid by Sept. 30; all of the bill is due by Nov. 21, Willhoite told the Boone County Commissioners Tuesday.

Willhoite and County Auditor Gretchen Smith had said in July they hoped bills would be ready in time for two payment dates. Last year taxes were due in a single payment with a December due date.

“I think we’re better off than we were last year,” Willhoite said Tuesday afternoon. “Hopefully, we will be even better next year.”

“As long,” she added, “as the legislators do not give us more changes.”

Tax statements will be available online at www.boone.in.gov; click on “view your 2008 tax information” and fill in the fields.

If taxpayers don’t know their property parcel number, Willhoite suggested they search by name to find their tax bill.

In a related item, the commissioners authorized contracting with American Financial Credit Services, Inc., Indianapolis, to collect overdue taxes.

Over the last 10 years, businesses and individuals have refused to pay more than $1.325 million in personal property taxes, Willhoite said.

The list of delinquent taxpayers on ledger-size paper is a quarter-inch thick.

Persons and businesses will be sent several notices to pay up, Willhoite said. If there is no response, the debt will be advertised in the newspaper.

“After that final step, if they do not pay, it will be referred to the collection agency,” Willhoite said.

American Financial will receive 25 percent on top of what they collect, Willhoite said.

If the company has to file suit to collect, it will collect another 3 percent to cover court costs, Willhoite said.

“There are some businesses and some private individuals who refuse to pay these personal property taxes year after year,” Willhoite said. “I don’t think it’s fair to other taxpayers to bear the brunt of this.”

The county had been using Atlas Collections, but Willhoite said “they didn’t seem to pursue any of these judgments.”

        

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